The Digital Apothecary
The Digital Apothecary
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It's increasingly becoming a digital world, and businesses are looking to turn healthcare into the next field to reap the benefits of rampant technological growth. After all, its a multi-billion dollar market, we have an aging population, and new therapies are coming to the field all the time. For me, keeping up with all of these developements has increasingly been a fund endeavor, but over the years I have found many people asking me for input on new technologies and their impact on the pharmacy landscape and patient care oppurtunities. For that reason, I created The Digital Apothecary as a place for people to read about novel tools, devices, and developements that I think may make a difference. 

 
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Why the focus on Digital Health?

It's an amazing time for patients to be able to use wearable devices to capture data in realtime and share it with their health team. I love to watch what is being developed and imagine how pharmacy can use this to monitor therapeutic outcomes and improve care.

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About Me

Timothy Aungst, PharmD, is an associate professor of pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacist. He is clinically trained in ambulatory care, with a focus on cardiology and cardiometabolic conditions, alongside geriatric care. For the past decade, Timothy has focused upon the role of technology within clinical care. This has included the evaluation of mobile medical applications and constructing frameworks to identify clinically relevant mobile health tools. This has included evaluating over 5000+ mobile apps and related digital health products and serving as a mentor and judge for the MIT hacking medicine program. By combining his clinical knowledge with his digital health knowledge, he has become a leading subject matter expert on integrating smart medications, digital therapeutics, digital medicines, and remote patient monitoring, and digitalizing patient care. He has served in multiple digital health adivisorial roles related to clinical decision-making and payor coverage. He is a current advisor for the digital therapeutics alliance and aids the digital medicine society. Lastly, bridging his experience as an educator, he is leading committees within the American Pharmacist Association and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy to create standards of digital health care for current and future learners and the creation of certificates and training modules to get the pharmacy profession ready for the era of digital health care.

 

Editorial Team & Writers

The following are individuals who help write for or manage content on the Digital Apothecary.

 
 
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Christina Aungst, PharmD

Editor of Content & Contributing Author

Christina Aungst, PharmD is a practicing pharmacist with CVS Health. She’s been with the company for over 15 years. She graduated from Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy in Wilkes-Barre, PA in 2011. Her ever-present smile and happy attitude made retail pharmacy a good fit for her right out of school. But, her thirst for knowledge and ability to break down complex concepts for the average person to understand drive her to take on other projects. She helped create the clinical content for Iodine, as well as co-authored blog posts on their website. Her attention to detail and knack for grammar always made her the go-to editor for projects during her educational years. She happily continues to provide this service for her husband.

 

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“To have a group of cloistered clinicians away completely from the broad current of professional life would be bad for teacher and worse for student. The primary work of a professor of medicine in a medical school is in the wards, teaching his pupils how to deal with patients and their diseases.”
— Sir William Osler

While Dr. Oslers quote was geared towards the medical profession, I feel the emphasis on the pharmacy professor is similar and I have often found myself guided by his thoughts in my daily practice.

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What I Can Offer:

While this website serves as on online news site and an area for me to muse openly, I also provide other freelance and consultative services based on interests.

 
 
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Freelance Writing

Funnily enough, I started out blogging almost a decade ago on a Blogspot page before I moved on towards writing for other companies. Some examples include, iMedicalApps, Pharmacy Times, and Iodine. If you are looking for an online article, clinically focused writing, a printed piece, or continuing education material, feel free to reach out and I can always provide samples if interested. My interest/expertise (if not already evident by this website) is focused on technological issues in healthcare, but I do dabble in issues like geriatric and cardiac care.

 
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Speaking Engagements

I have given over 20 presentations internationally, nationally, and locally to a variety of audiences. Most of these have been focused on pharmacists and based through continuing education presentations. Usually my talks are focused on technology, though I can do other topics if you are interested. If you want to book me for a talk feel free to reach out! 

 
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Consultant Services

I am willing to work as a consultant if you are looking for a pharmacist with an academic background, clinical experience, and knowledgeable on the digital health and technological side of pharmacy. However, I am not interested in providing legal information (e.g., 'How do I create my own virtual pharmacy?' or 'What does my product need to meet FDA approval, and can you do the paperwork?') or programming. In the past, I have provided services to small start-ups, investing groups, and others. I am always willing to chat on the phone or via web-conference before engaging in any contract.